


He's happy

by gestalt (merlin91)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, Nice Uther, Pure fluff!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-25
Updated: 2013-07-25
Packaged: 2017-12-21 08:02:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/897888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merlin91/pseuds/gestalt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Uther's POV on Merlin/Arthur.</p><p>Fluffy One-shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He's happy

Merlin woke up, immediately and acutely aware that Arthur wasn’t beside him. Blinking sleepily, he poked his head from the massive furs piled on top of him and looked around. 

Arthur was sitting in his chair, the flickering firelight highlighting his profile beautifully. He looked so handsome that Merlin’s heart ached to just reach out and touch his jaw, run his hands down that strong back, tangle his fingers in that soft, golden hair…just hold him till all the tension leaked out of his body and he relaxed for once, letting Merlin take care of him. There was nothing Merlin loved more than to take care of a pliant Arthur- it was so contradictory to his nature to ever let his guard down and the fact that he did that in front of Merlin made him feel pretty special.

Merlin got down from the absurdly comfortable bed and padded over to his prince. Arthur looked up when Merlin slid a hand into his hair, gently carding his fingers through it. Arthur’s eyes softened as he gazed at Merlin, mouth twitching in a small smile. “Hey,’ he said fondly and Merlin smiled down at him, fingers curling in the soft hair at his nape. Arthur tugged Merlin down by his other hand, and Merlin easily slid into his lap, straddling Arthur in his chair. He pulled Merlin closer and pressed his face to his throat, breathing him in and Merlin wrapped his other hand tightly around those broad shoulders that he so loved. They stayed like that for a long time, Arthur nuzzling softly, while Merlin buried his face in his hair, clutching Arthur to him like a lifeline. They were so wrapped up in each other, that the opening of the door went unnoticed by both of them. 

***

Uther stood in the doorway, shocked at the way his son was sitting with his manservant held tightly to him. He knew Arthur was close to that idiot, but this? This was something else. The way they were both sitting, murmuring to each other while hands roamed down shoulders and backs and clutched the other more tightly so that no inch of space was left between them- this spoke of deeper feelings. This was love. 

He stood there for a few minutes, strangely unwilling to intrude on what was clearly a private moment for the prince. Arthur drew back at times to look Merlin in the eye and listen to something which the idiot was telling and the way he threw his head back and laughed and the way Merlin looked ridiculously pleased at achieving that laugh from Arthur made Uther hesitate to stop what was happening. His son had been despondent for the last few weeks, and Uther now realized it was because Merlin had gone to visit his mother. He had stiffly and awkwardly asked Arthur about the long face he had been sporting all the time, and had only received a curt “It’s nothing father, I’ll be fine soon enough” in return. It was clear to Uther now that the idiot’s absence had caused the moping around and the trashing the knights received every day, and his return was the reason why the knights were all now very happy.

He continued standing there, feeling strangely happy when Merlin looked at Arthur with a look so soft and full of love and affection that Uther suddenly found himself missing Ygraine. He used to look at her in the exact same way- and he was surprised that the King of Camelot shared something so profound with a mere peasant, a village idiot to boot, and that they both loved a golden-head who held their hearts in the palm of their hands.

Arthur was speaking softly to Merlin to which he giggled and Arthur pulled him down to capture that sweet sound with his mouth. Uther looked away awkwardly, and decided to leave, the treaty talk could wait. Arthur deserved some happiness and if he found that with Merlin, then so be it. Uther would look the other way till the time Arthur was ready for marriage. He would let his son feel the joy he used to feel with his beloved wife.

Turning to go, he glanced back for the last time, wanting to capture the innocent love that was being displayed. Arthur was breathing in Merlin, their foreheads touching, and they remained that way till Uther took a deep breath and looked away. “He’s happy Ygraine, he’s happy. I didn’t fail,” Uther whispered, and the torches lighting the halls flickered in a gentle breeze, and a faint tinkling laugh was heard. 

Uther smiled and walked back to his chambers. “He’s happy,” he whispered again to himself. That’s all that mattered for now.


End file.
